The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card review

The Amex EveryDay is a solid choice if you want an American Express card without an annual fee and you use your card more than 20 times a month. With good intro APR offers, an attainable welcome offer and rewards on essential purchases, this card is a solid choice if you’re just starting out with the issuer.

Intro APR: Solid offers for no-annual-fee card

The Amex EveryDay offers a 15-month 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening (either $5 or 3 percent of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater). Afterward, the ongoing APR is 17.74% - 27.74% Variable. 

These offers can be quite valuable if you have large purchases or travel coming up, or you need to consolidate debt from an existing card. The card’s low interest rates and no annual fee also make the Amex EveryDay an easy card to maintain over time while you get the feel of a rewards program. 

Perks: A good variety for beginners

The Amex EveryDay card has a few standout travel and shopping perks:

• Car rental loss and damage insurance: When you pay with your card and decline the auto rental agency’s coverage, Amex can cover damage or theft of your rental vehicle in eligible territories, up to a certain amount. 
• Global Assist® Hotline: This service offers 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, such as emergency cash wires and missing luggage assistance, when you travel over 100 miles from home.
• ShopRunner: Once you sign up for ShopRunner (enrollment required), you’ll receive free two-day shipping and returns on items with more than 100 participating retailers.

Rewards: Bonuses save the day 

Earning rewards with the Amex EveryDay credit card is easy since the only two bonus categories to manage are U.S. supermarkets and prepaid rental cars booked through the American Express Travel portal. Unfortunately, this rate reverts to 1 point per dollar once you spend more than $6,000 per year (that’s $500 a month) at U.S. supermarkets. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar.

Luckily, the card comes with two bonuses that supplement the card’s value. You can earn 20 percent extra points on your purchases each month if you make 20 or more separate purchases with your card in that billing period. You can also earn 2 Membership points per dollar when you purchase eligible travel bookings through AmexTravel.com, including prepaid hotel stays, flights and more, expanding your earning potential.

Although the Amex EveryDay is a good card for grocery purchases, its earning potential is limited, even compared to other Amex cards. 

Redemption Options: Only good for travel

On paper, Membership Rewards points offer many redemption options. You can choose to redeem for statement credits, gift cards and merchandise or spend them to cover card charges or online shopping purchases with select retailers (like Amazon.com and rental cars through Amex Travel). But in reality, Amex Travel is your only choice if you want to maximize the value of your points effectively. Earned points are worth much less if you don’t use them to book travel through the Amex Travel portal or find a transfer partner program with a 1:1 conversion rate.

We recommend saving your earned points for travel opportunities, even if you don’t have immediate travel plans. If you’d rather have cash back in hand than sit on your travel rewards, you might want to consider a cash back card.

Welcome offer: Pretty food for no-annual-fee

After spending $2,000 within your first three months, you can earn 10,000 Amex Membership Rewards points. Based on Bankrate’s current valuations, these points are worth around 2.0 cents each, for a total value of up to $200. Membership Rewards points are worth the most when they’re redeemed through the American Express Travel portal or partner travel programs, valued at 2.0 cents, based on Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations. 

This bonus value is standard among no-annual-fee cards but the spend is pretty high. The value also dips to $100 if you prefer to use the bonus as a statement credit or other redemption offer.

Other Benefits: Thin list of protections

As an entry-level card, the Amex EveryDay isn’t brimming with valuable travel perks. Nevertheless, the standard American Express features it comes with might be helpful for your normal shopping needs.

The Pay It Plan It alternate payment features could be handy in a pinch if you want to keep recent purchases separate from your balance. Pay It lets you take care of purchases under $100 immediately, which makes it easier to track your rewards spending on small items. Plan It is a bit more substantial, allowing you to shift qualifying $100+ purchases to fixed-payment plans over an extended period. Just make sure the monthly installment plan fee isn’t more expensive than the interest would have been.

You’ll also have purchase protection, which reimburses you for the cost of repair or replacement in case your covered item is damaged or stolen within 90 days of the purchase date.

Rates & Fees: Not the best

While the ongoing interest is relatively low and there’s no annual fee, the card still carries a few fees. The late payment fee is up to $40 and the cash advance fee is 5 percent or a $10 minimum. There’s also a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee, so you’ll want to avoid using it abroad.

These are all standard fees, but some cards omit the foreign transaction fee and charge a lower cash advance fee. So while it may not be the dealbreaker, there are cheaper options on the market.

The Amex EveryDay credit card’s rewards rate is just decent for a no-annual-fee card, and the $6,000 annual spending cap for your 2X-point category stunts this card’s rewards potential. A flat-rate cash back card may be a better value in the long run.

If you’re serious about collecting Membership Rewards points, you’ll likely need an annual fee card. Here are a couple of choices that will pair well with the Amex EveryDay card.

The Amex EveryDay is best for those who prefer to earn money on everyday necessities without paying an annual fee.

If you want an American Express starter card, the Amex EveryDay credit card is easy to use and accessible. It is a low-cost first rewards card that offers pretty good rewards on groceries, even with the spending cap, as well as travel. You can earn a 20 percent bonus when you make 20 or more purchases in a billing cycle. 

Other cash back cards can deliver more valuable long-term rewards on groceries and well-rounded rewards. Still, the Amex EveryDay is still a pretty good option for those looking for simplicity and no annual fee. 

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.

All information about American Express Cash Magnet® Card, The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express, and the Amex® EveryDay Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.